The Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen (man that’s one heck of a name) is a Table Service Restaurant located in Adventureland in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. It requires 1 Table Dining Credit if you are using the Disney Dining Plan.
It also participates in Tables in Wonderland which gives you a 20% discount on your food and drinks, so that is a big help in paying for your meals. Skipper Canteen does accept ADR’s 180 Days in advance, and while Skipper Canteen isn’t the most popular restaurant in Walt Disney World, seeing as it’s located in the Magic Kingdom, it’s a good idea to book a reservation ASAP, especially in the busier times of year.
Expect to find the flavorful cuisine of Asia, South America, and Africa at the Skipper Canteen. However, even though it’s exotic, it also caters to the most simple palates too. Some of the famous dishes are: Trader Sam’s Head-On Shrimp, Char Siu Pork, S.E.A. Shu Mai, plus Steak, Salads, Fish and Lamb Chops.
Scroll down for the Menu and My Full Review of the restaurant…
Table of Contents
Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen Menu (Lunch/Dinner)
*(Last Updated 10/18/19) – If you have any Menu updates or corrections please let us know!
Appetizers:
S.E.A. Shu Mai
A blend of Pork, Shrimp, Edamame Beans, and Spices wrapped in Gyoza Skin then steamed
$13.00
Falls Family Falafel
A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with House-made Edamame Hummus and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
$10.00
Shiriki Noodle Salad
Noodles, Edamame Beans, Mushrooms, Green Mango, and Cucumber tossed with a Sweet Chili Sauce. Famously served at Hotel Hightower on December 31, 1899
$11.00
Jungle Green Salad
Iceberg Wedge with Shishito Peppers, Radish, Hearts of Palm, Cucumbers, and Pistachios with an Ají Pepper-Yogurt Dressing
$12.00
Lost and Found Soup
Chef’s Seasonal Soup prepared with the freshest unclaimed cargo! Please ask you Skipper for today’s selection
$9.00
Orinoco Ida’s Cachapas
House-made Corn Pancakes, Mojo-braised Pork, Black Bean Salad, and Avocado Cream
$13.00
Entreés:
Dr. Falls’ Signature Grilled Steak
Marinated New York Strip, Pico de Gallo Butter, Jasmine Rice, and Braised Black Beans with Applewood-smoked Bacon
$36.00
”Tastes Like Chicken” Because it is
Crispy-fried Chicken served with Jasmine Rice, Chili Glaze, and Seasonal Vegetables
$24.00
Curried Vegetable Crew Stew
a favorite of the Crew Stew Crew (especially Stu). Seasonal Vegetables and pineapple Tofu in a House-made Curry Sauce served with Coconut Rice
$19.00
”Hardy Har Char” Siu Pork
Char Siu-marinated Pork served with Seasonal Vegetables and Jasmine Rice
$25.00
Whole Fried Fish
You’ll get hooked on Skipper Annette’s latest catch! Served with House-made Kimchi and a Soy-Ginger Vinaigrette
$33.00
Sustainable Fish
“Not Piranha,” served over Spiced Couscous and Black Garlic Aïoli in a fragrant Basil-Lemon Grass Broth
$31.00
Perkins Thai Noodles
Chicken, Tofu, Seasonal Vegetables, and Rice Noodles tossed in a Spicy Soy-Chili Garlic Sauce. A favorite of our friend Pamelia Perkins, President of the Adventurers Club
$25.00
Sankuru Sadie’s Seafood Stew
Shrimp, Sustainable Fish, Mussels, and Octopus simmered in a fragrant Coconut Sauce. Served with Jasmine Rice
$28.00
Trader Lamb
Spice-rubbed Lamb Chops, Roasted Vegetables with a Brown Butter-Tomato Sauce, drizzled with Ras El Hanout Oil
$29.00
“A Lot at Steak” Salad
We’re betting it all on this one! Grilled Steak, Romaine Lettuce, Spring Mix, Pickled Jalapeños, Red Onion, Queso Fresco, and Pumpkin Seeds tossed in a Chimichurri Vinaigrette
$19.00
Desserts:
Kungaloosh!
An African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas served with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream topped with Coffee Dust
$9.00
Quick Sand!!!
Jasmine Rice Pudding, Mango Sauce, Lemon Curd, Hibiscus Meringue, and Pineapple
$8.00
Panna-Connie’s Congo Lime Delight
Lime ‘Panna Cotta’ served with Mango-Lime Sorbet, Fresh Fruit, and a Brazil Nut Cookie
$9.00
Coconut Bar with Pineapple-Basil Compote and Vanilla Cream
Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Coconut and Lime-White Chocolate Ganache
$8.50
Drinks:
Soft Drinks
Bottled Water, Fountain Sodas
Espresso, Cappuccino, and Latte
Wine
Don Miguel Gascón Malbec, Beso Del Sol Red Sangria, Dr. Loosen ‘Dr. L’ Rielsing, Infamous Goose Sauvginon Blanc, Franciscan Chardonnay, King Estate Pinot Noir, Iron Horse ‘Fairy Tale Celebration Cuvée’ Brut
Beer
Kungaloosh Spiced Excursion Ale, Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, Stella Artois Pale Lager
Punch Line Punch (non-alcoholic)
Tropical Fruit Juices and Mango Purée. Also available with a savory spiced-rim for an extra zinger!
$5.50
Punch Line Punch in a Jungle Skipper Canteen Souvenir Mug
Tropical Fruit Juices and Mango Purée. Also available with a savory spiced-rim for an extra zinger!
$13.50
Schweitzer Slush (non-alcoholic)
Frozen Apple Juice and Passion Fruit topped with Bursting Green Apple Boba Balls, first concocted by the noted explorer and humanitarian, Dr. Albert Slush
$6.50
Schweitzer Slush in a Jungle Skipper Canteen Souvenir Mug
Frozen Apple Juice and Passion Fruit topped with Bursting Green Apple Boba Balls, first concocted by the noted explorer and humanitarian, Dr. Albert Slush
$14.50
House-made Sangria
Choice of Red or White Wine blended with Spices and Juice with a trio of fruit
$10.50
Jungle Navigation Co. Shandy
Blue Moon Belgian White Ale mixed with Simply Lemonade®
$10.00
Kid’s Menu (Lunch/Dinner)
Kid’s Appetizers:
Serengeti Salad
with Fat-free Ranch Dressing
$3.00
Safari Snack
Cucumbers and Carrots served with a Cucumber-Yogurt Dip
$3.00
Kid’s Entreés:
Sizzling Savanna Grilled Seasoned Steak
served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$13.00
Junior Skip’s Macaroni & Cheese
served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$10.00
Congo Connie’s Coconut-Curry Concoction
with Pineapple Tofu and Jasmine Rice served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$12.00
Chef Tandaji’s Crispy Chicken
served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$11.00
Smiley’s Little ‘Croc’ of Chicken Soup
served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$11.00
Tiki Tiki Shrimpy Shrimpy
served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
$12.00
Create your own selections:
Steamed Broccoli, Seasonal Vegetables, Fingerling Potatoes, Jade Rice Blend, Seasonal Fruit, Mango Sorbet, Monkey Bites, Volcano!
Skipper Canteen Review
Before doing a Skipper Canteen Review in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, we’d never eaten there before, so I was excited to try it out. The Jungle Cruise is one of my absolute all-time favorite attractions so when I heard a few years ago that they were building an attraction based on the story of the Jungle Cruise I knew it was a must-try dining location.
The idea behind the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a great one. It’s tells the story of Dr. Albert Falls, founder of the Jungle Navigation Co. in 1911 and his then famous Jungle Cruise.
It also delves into the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (or S.E.A), which is a secret organization behind many of the Disney park attractions, especially those overseas in Tokyo and Hong Kong for example. The theming here is amazing, and one of the best in any park restaurant .
Let’s dive into our Skipper Canteen Review so we can find out if it lives up to the hype…
Atmosphere:
You can find the entrance to The Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen in the Magic Kingdom as soon as you enter Adventureland, on the right, immediately after the Sunshine Tree Terrace and before the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. Here’s the entrance:
In our case even though we had a reservation, we still had to wait outside for a good 30 minutes. Strange since it wasn’t a particularly busy day in the Magic Kingdom, and also unfortunate since we planned our Skipper Canteen dinner right before the Happily Ever Fireworks so we really couldn’t afford to wait that long. Not sure if that’s normal for the Skipper Canteen or if it was just that day. Anyways if you have to wait you can choose to in the lovely covered veranda at the entrance:
As we said before, the The Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a restaurant created by Dr. Albert Falls. Dr. Falls founded The Jungle Navigation Co., in 1911, which was a shipping company to service fellow explorers and adventurers on the jungle rivers. He was also prominent member of the S.E.A.(you will see their influence as we do our Skipper Canteen review).
As time went on and Dr Falls passed, his grand-daughter Alberta took over the family business and fewer and fewer true adventurers were coming to Adventureland, she stopped focusing on shipping and started offering Jungle Cruises to tourists instead.
Naturally these hungry visitors needed a place to eat and so the Skipper Canteen was opened up to the public, including all 3 Dining Rooms in the Skipper Canteen; the Crew Mess Hall, the Falls Family Parlor and the secretive S.E.A. Room.
Let’s look at the first one:
The Crew Mess Hall:
This is the dining room when you first enter the building. This is also where the crew working for the The Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd ate. You know they worked up a big appetite out there on the jungle rivers so naturally this was a welcome sight when they entered:
This is by far the biggest of the 3 dining rooms at the Skipper Canteen:
The room itself is filled with high vaulting ceilings and painted in bright colors, no doubt boosting the moral of the crew members working hard on the rivers.
Look at how high the ceilings are:
You’ll also notice hundreds of artifacts found by the explorers and adventurers along the way. If you lose something yourself while visiting the Skipper Canteen, this would be a good place to look for it:
Here’s a banner honoring the commemoration of the Jungle Cruise started by Alberta Falls:
A typical table here:
The African masks and statues on the left of the hall are nice, but it’s what’s behind there that’s far more interesting….
S.E.A. Room:
While the Crew Mess Hall is nice and all, I don’t think any Skipper Canteen review would be complete without visiting they most prestigious dining room in the restaurant: the S.E.A. Room. This is where Dr. Albert Falls met secretly with his colleagues and fellow members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. To get there we’ll have to go through the secret passage way behind the bookshelf:
When visiting the Skipper Canteen, you have to pay attention to the details. The books on the shelf are a riot to read and are all puns on pop culture and Disney attractions and films. Take some time to read some of them as you pass:
When you enter you immediately understand why Dr. Falls chose to meet back here:
The room is beautiful, with wood paneling from the floor all the way to the ceiling which give it a real sense of luxury and prestige:
One of my favorite things to do in the Skipper Canteen is to just wander around and look at the artifacts collected over the years by Dr. Albert Falls and his fellow explorers:
This portrait is awesome and gives you a shot a quite familiar looking jungle, wouldn’t you say….
You can also find a beautiful wood map carved into the wall:
There are literally dozens of rare butterflies displayed on the wall too. Here are a couple samples. They are breathtaking to look at:
Falls Family Parlor:
The 3rd and final dining room in the Skipper Canteen is the Falls Family Parlor, where the Falls family would spend most of their time eating:
This room is also really cool and unique with tons of neat details throughout. It’s also quite bright looking with greens and blues adorning the walls:
Just like in the previous room you can find dozens of treasures discovered in the depths of the jungle:
Ok, not everything was necessarily found in the jungle:
This is a model of the actual Jungle Cruise boats:
- TIP: Of the 3 dining rooms, I’d take the S.E.A. Room and then the Falls Family Parlor, which are both miles ahead of the Crew Mess Hall imo. Both are a quiet and more intimate dining experience. Ask for one of them when you check in for your reservation!
So we agree that the theming in the Skipper Canteen is fantastic, and a great representation of what a Disney restaurant should look like. What about the food though? Let’s find out….
Food:
So the Skipper Canteen is advertised as South American, Asian and African cuisine, which might make some pickier eaters worried. While this was true in the beginning of the restaurant’s history, the menu has been significantly dialed-down, so you won’t find anything overly exotic, and will surely find something that appeals to everyone.
Some of the choices are Steamed Dumplings (S.E.A. She Mai), Pork, Chicken, Steak Salad, Shrimp, a Noodle Bowl, etc. Probably the “strangest” thing on the menu is the Whole Fried Fish, which still has the head on. The Skipper Canteen used to have their Shrimp dish also with the heads but they dialed that one down.
Honestly it’s extremely hard to pull-off a more ambitious menu in a theme park and have it accepted by the masses. I actually preferred the original version of it and it’s a shame that people complained about it. It was only a matter of time it became a bit more main-stream. In fact I fear the same fate eventually for Tiffins in the Animal Kingdom which has already had some minor tweaks but remains more upscale and more exotic than Skipper Canteen.
As for prices they are quite reasonable with Appetizers running from about $9-11 each and Entrees from about $17-32. It’s more expensive than a quick service restaurant for sure, but being in the Magic Kingdom you pay a premium and they aren’t bad at all.
First before having our meal we had to try the Schweitzer Slush:
You Know I’m obsessed with any drink with Boba Balls in it, so it was a no brainer for me! It has a strong green apple taste, and is refreshing, especially after it was so hot. Loveeeee The bobba balls, which are Apple-flavored too. It was a little too icy and could have had a stronger passion fruit taste, but overall it was good!
Our first appetizer was the Falls Family Falafel:
